Submission Guidelines

Each issue, we accept 12-16 original (previously unpublished) pieces of prose, poetry, visual art, and audio art. Our publication revolves around one issue at a time, so please read our Call for Submissions before submitting. We will open submissions for #8 starting Monday, April 16th and close on Thursday, May 31st. The eighth issue will begin to roll out in July 2018. Please submit to only one category at a time.

NONFICTIONWe are looking for critical essays, first-person narratives, and reportage up to 3,000 words. Our emphasis is always on perspective above all else; we want to hear from your experience, your vantage point, and your process. Help us to understand the world better from where you stand, so we might be able to meet you there. PDF and .doc formats accepted.

FICTIONWe are looking for flash fiction, prose poetry, and engaging narratives up to 3,000 words. Our emphasis is always on perspective above all else; we want to get lost in created worlds, encounter new characters, and delve into truths the way only meaningful fiction can. Help us to understand the world better from where you stand, so we might be able to meet you there. PDF and .doc formats accepted.

POETRYWhen it comes to poetry, anything goes. Whether you prefer to hang with Petrarch or Ashbery, as long as it grapples with our issue, we welcome it. Please submit up to four poems in .doc or PDF formats.

ART
We are looking for photography/film, audio art, digital soundscapes, or any other form of creative expression outside of the written word. In the past, we have published video clips, play manuscripts, and spoken word poetry layered with instrumental whimsies — so if you can imagine it, we can find a home for it. JPEG, .mp3, or .mov formats accepted.

REVISION
Please proofread your work before submitting. Given that we are only three people, extensive revisions of a piece are not possible. While we do not discard submissions based on a few typos, we cannot orchestrate your essay for you either.

PAYMENT
We are committed to paying our contributors; upon publication of your work, you will receive payment either through PayPal or by check. Payment will vary depending on form, genre, and the size of our piggy banks.

The Seventh Wave is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and literary organization dedicated to creating online and offline spaces for conversation to flourish. We are also dedicated to paying all of our contributors.

Our $20.00 option is what we consider a conversational submission. For any submission we do not accept, you receive detailed feedback from our editors about your piece (why we did not select it for publication, but also what we could encourage you to edit and revise, should our feedback align with your intent). If you do submit to this category and we accept your submission, we will waive the fee upon publication. Should you not want feedback or if this fee creates a barrier to entry, you can also submit to our “No fee, No feedback” category for free, or to our “Tip Jar” category to pay what you can to help sustain us.

To wit: We understand that it takes time and effort to create quality art and writing, and time and effort on our part to give your work the attention it deserves. And so, rest assured that all proceeds from submissions go right back to our contributors and toward future events. If, however, the submission fee finds you at a time of financial difficulty, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@seventhwavemag.com, and we will be happy to chat further.

DISCLAIMER
At The Seventh Wave, we are interested in unique perspectives, distinctive voices, and novel takes on our current issue, and are committed to being as inclusive as possible. As such, we do not tolerate racist, sexist, homophobic, or xenophobic content.

RIGHTS
The Seventh Wave will acquire First Rights (Non-Exclusive Electronic) upon publication, meaning that we will be the first place on the Internet where the piece is displayed. To reiterate: no previously published pieces (we consider blog postings previous publication) will be accepted. All rights will revert to the author 45 days after publication.

Feedback About Our Feedback

What do past submitters say about the personalized feedback we give on the pieces we do not select for publication?

*

I feel compelled to write back and express my immense appreciation for your having taken the time to offer me such an insightful, thought-provoking critique. I can tell you from the perspective of a writer who has submitted to however many journals over the years, and more often than not received the standard, informal rejection (understandably so, due to the amount of submissions these journals receive) that your attention and intelligence is such a kind and refreshing offering, one that will continue to inspire me in the development of this elusive, immensely rewarding craft. I thank you not only on behalf of myself, but for all writers whose work I am sure you have gifted with a similar grace.— Issue 7 Submitter

*

“Thank you for the overwhelming compliment. I’m new to submission. It’s been a struggle to deal with the rejection letters, but writing won’t let me quit. As writers, all we want is to be heard and (hopefully) understood. For you to recognize my voice means the world to me, so thank you. I’ll be on the lookout for Seventh Wave’s next round of submissions and will put my heart into crafting something that fits the theme.”
— Issue 7 Submitter

*

“I’ve gotten a lot of rejections lately, but this has been the most encouraging — thanks so much for the detailed feedback! I found many suggestions really helpful. I have no formal education in writing/literature, so I have just bumbled my way through and now that I am editing the first draft of a book, I am finding so much to cut. I will definitely submit to The Seventh Wave again, though perhaps a stand alone piece might be more suitable than a chunk of memoir. Thanks again to all who read, and for the generous feedback.”
— Issue 7 Submitter

*

“I can’t thank you enough for the thoughtful feedback on not one, but two, drafts. I am incredibly lucky to have received your help in making my piece even stronger. You and the other editors are not only talented but generous, and the feedback you have given me is much more valuable than publication — especially when the piece isn’t ready. I hope your move is going well, and I will absolutely keep an eye on future issues of The Seventh Wave.”
– Issue 6 Submitter

Art in the space of social issues

Newsletter

Email address:

Leave this field empty if you're human:

Contact

The Seventh Wave Magazine, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) arts and literary nonprofit interested in conversations, both on and offline, about the most pressing social issues of our times. Get in touch with us if you are an artist, a thinker, an organization, or just anyone curious. info@seventhwavemag.com